Polly Binns

Yesterday Polly Binns gave a talk entitled

A Personal View

Polly subtitled it 'or how I understand myself'

She described her work as being autobiographical - a culmination of her life, age, education, opportunities, career etc.  This was particularly relevant to me because I have described my current project as autobiographical. Polly is the same age as me but with totally different life experiences.  She described the changes which have happened over her lifetime in the study of textiles, the vocabulary of textiles, her practice and her collaborations over the years.  She is inspired by the natural world which she observes on her walks, she likes to use grid formations.  Overall, her message was that we are unique and that our work will be unique as a result.

Fabulous Fashionistas

I have just looked at a Channel 4 programme called Fabulous Fashionistas.  It is about six women with an average age of 80.  None of them are trying to look young, they are stylish and fun and redefine the ageing process.  I found the programme to be energising and enjoyable.  Journalist Michele Hanson disagrees... she says that they are women who have always enjoyed being flamboyant and that other older people have a right to be dull because they have always been dull.  Nothing whatsoever to do with age. 

I enjoyed the Reith Lecture (1/4) called Democracy has Bad Taste which was broadcast yesterday....always agreeable to listen to Grayson Perry.  He spoke about quality in art and who decides it is good.  He spoke about the 'validation process' which includes fellow artists, agents, curators, serious critics, collectors, dealers and galleries.  It was engaging and enlightening - and irreverent.

Speaking as an older woman

 

its done....

 Well here we are.  Critical evaluation done - usual thing....struggle to get enough words, then too many words and everything needs to be said.  Its done...

The rag book is assembled.  See below the layout - which had lost its registration marks in the printing process.  I'm quite pleased with the results.  I like the images, I think there are too many pages - it becomes a bit tiresome.  Some of the images should have been larger.  Its done...

Pecha Kucha took longer than I thought. Can't pretend that I'm sorry to have missed giving the presentation. 

busy busy busy

Further to my tutorial last week, I put out a call for more toys/ornaments.  I have drawn, painted and felt tipped more images - often very messily (esp because time is short) which are then tidied up with Photoshop - sometimes changing the colours completely.

More sequencing, positioning, selecting, rejecting (quotes and images).  A third mock up book.  The notes on stitching have been included this round.  I'll be seeing Sarah Angold today before I see Neil to enquire whether he might be able to digitally print the book in time for submission next Thursday.

I have to say that I have really enjoyed this unit.  I feel, at last, that I am creating something that I relate to, that I like and that I feel is meaningful.  It includes elements that I have always liked - naïve and bold images, text and a genuine reflection of how I experience life.

ruthless edit.

I have decided to omit the historical notes and some of the images from my rag book.  Meanwhile I have drawn two more images.  Sarah asked for 30 by next week - which can be narrowed down to ten - but it takes me a few hours to draw each image so I won't be able to manage more than five or six. 

I also want to use the images in a repeat pattern.

Sarah called my work 'Controversial Craft'.  I like that.

Found a 'Call for papers' on Facebook for a conference called 'The Subversive Stitch Revisited: The Politics of Cloth' at the Sackler Centre, Victoria & Albert Museum - 29th and 30th November 2013.  I definitely want to be there - not as presenter though.  'The Subversive Stitch' is the key text for this unit.

this week

Attended an acrylic painting workshop this week.  Lots of mark making exercises, painting on card and painting on canvas.

Spent a lot of time  this week trying to sequence my rag book, positioning  images on the pages, matching images and words from the questionnaire and making it look like a single collection by including the colourway within the images or around the images.

Tutorial with Sarah Angold.  My heart was sinking as I heard her telling Vanessa to experiment and not concentrate on the end result.  My work is a million miles away from Sarah's perspex jewellery.  All the old doubts crowded in - I'm an old girl, who am I kidding, what makes me think I have an iota of creativity or taste. I'm a laughing stock.  

But I know that I love creating, that I love looking at others people's work, that I don't like everything I view and that I have loved creating the images for this project.

Sarah liked them!  Not all of them.  She called it 'controversial craft' and she injected a less 'serious' note.  I have been trying to include all 40 responses, the serious research etc.  She said I should select, edit, exclude etc.  She liked the idea of seeing the responses while not knowing the question.  She made it all a bit more 'edgy'.  Relief!  And back home I started another image with renewed enthusiasm.